Pepperoni and Ziti Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 lb uncooked ziti
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 (26.5 oz) can prepared spaghetti sauce
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 (8 oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 (9 oz) package frozen, chopped spinach - thawed & drained
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 4 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 oz mini-pepperoni

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Brown ground turkey over medium heat until no longer pink - then drain.
3. In a large bowl, combine: browned ground turkey, large can spaghetti sauce, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, chopped spinach, cottage cheese, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and pepper. Mix well.
4. Fold drained pasta into the turkey mixture.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Prepare 2 baking dishes with cooking spray. (One to bake, one to freeze - if desired.)
7. Fill both baking dishes with ziti-turkey mixture.
8. Combine water with regular tomato sauce. Pour that combination equally over both pasta dishes.
9. Top with remaining shredded mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and mini-pepperoni.
10. Bake the casserole at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes - OR - cover and freeze until ready to use.

Pepperoni & Mushroom Stuffed Heart Pizza Bread

As Valentine's Day approaches, I've been looking around my kitchen for a package of heart shaped cookie cutters in graduated sizes. As of this post, those cookie cutters are still MIA. (Sounds to me like a good reason to head to Hobby Lobby!)

What I did find in my cabinets were some heart shaped mini-cake pans, a silicone small hearts cupcake pan, a heart shaped cookie baking pan....and way back in the corner were the bread tubes that I fell in love with and never use but once in a blue moon. Why? Mostly because the recommendation for use is to buy the refrigerated bread dough to bake in them.

While I'll admit, I have in the past. I will also admit I don't like to buy the refrigerated bread dough in a can that costs more than a loaf of baked bread. It seems a bit over the top, so I just don't do buy it.

Then I came across a recipe for a basic bread dough that works beautifully in place of those store bought cans of dough, has many other uses, and doesn't cost nearly as much to make.

That allows to me to spend money on those other Valentine's Day specials: M & M's, candy sprinkles, conversation hearts, the boxed cake mix with the pretty Valentine colors and matching icing.



I decided to use that basic bread dough recipe with the heart baking tube, and experiment by making a Pepperoni & Mushroom stuffed Pizza Bread. I could have made cinnamon rolls in the heart tube with this same dough recipe, but I think I'll save that idea for this weekend!

Ingredients:

1 bread dough ball from Basic Bread Dough recipe
1 small can of tomato paste
1 small package of deli sliced pepperoni
1 small can of sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning blend

- Allow the dough to come to room temperature. On a well-floured surface roll the dough out to a large rectangle shape.

- Top first with tomato paste, spreading almost all the way to each edge. Next add pepperoni slices, mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese. Last top with Italian seasoning blend.

- Using a pinching method, roll the covered dough along the longest side until you have a tube shape pizza roll.

- Prepare bread tube by spraying inside, (including the lid). Make sure oven is preheated to 350 degrees F and the racks have been removed or lowered so that the bread tube can bake standing upright in the oven for 1 hour.

- Carefully slide the pizza roll into the prepared tube with one end capped. I folded the end of my roll so that it would be sealed. (As it cooked, the melted cheese and sauce escaped, so this really had no impact.)

- Bake for 1 hour in the 350 degree F oven with the tube standing up, open end of the tube toward the top of the stove. To prevent spills or leaks, putting an oven liner or cookie sheet below the bread tube is a good idea.

- After the pizza roll has cooked for 1 hour, allow it to rest for 10 minutes before removing it from the bread tube.

- This stuffed Pepperoni & Mushroom bread is great served with additional pasta sauce for dipping and will make a great after school snack for my kids.